Strategic Missions - January-March, 1894
January Mission 1: Net Result Carl, Alphonse, Timothy, Albert and Hobson all head out, with weighted nets in tow, to try and capture a fish-man once more. The beasts are net-shy, it appears, and it takes some time to track them down - or is it the other way around as the Fish-Men attack and overturn the boat. The Rippers are able to fight them off, but not before the boat is broken up, and they are forced to swim for shore in the freezing waters, barely surviving. Still, some of the Fish-Men are slain, and no Rippers are lost. The Mission is a Success. Mission 2: Something Rotten in Rottingdean Cameron, Jason and Riley use the tickets to Rottingdean that have been provided by the mystery 'requester of assistance'. They arrive at the station and find they must walk into town. En Route they hear a tale from a farmer who has recently lost his arm of a herd of cows turned 'bad' and are then almost run over by a young man by the name of 'Rolls', who is driving a horseless carriage. They finally make Inn in which they are staying, and discover that the doors are locked at 9pm sharp. Some questioning of the locals learns of some missing children, but little else is learned. That night, a sound from outside the window alerts them to a curious shuffling procession through the streets outside. Climbing out of the window to investigate they are discovered by the processing figures - who under their cloaks are revealed to be Fish-Men! The Rippers are fought off, but not killed, and the Fish-Men flee. The Mission is a Success. Mission 3: The Walking Dead Charlie, Wilkes and Hamish travel to Clacton to investigate figures seen in and around a graveyard late at night. While they are watching the area, they themselves are seen by the local Curate, one Victor Hyatt. Hyatt, upon discovering their reason for being there, offers to aid them, and the small group are able to defeat a shuffling band of Zombies that clamber from their graves. They are unable to discover who is raising the undead, but have cleansed the graveyard of the undead taint for now. The Mission is a Triumph and Curate Hyatt is recruited as a new Ripper!. Final Cabal Threat: 6 February Mission 1: Return to Rottingdean Riley, Hobson and Camilla return to Rottingdean to investigate the Fish-Men further. Discovering that the procession that was witnessed last month has been seen before, and that it heads into the chapel, this is where they start their search. They find catacombs beneath the chapel, which they enter, discovering a large amount of contraband hidden in some well used tunnels, along with some less-travelled catacombs. Searching these latter, they come accross a young child, scared half to death who says that the monsters will come back to feed her more of Mother Hydra's Milk ... the child has strange bulbous eyes, and a rasping voice ... taking the child from the tunnels they return to the Inn, where they are offered payment from local smugglers in order to not give away their 'stash'. Accepting the new 'benefactor' they return to the lodge, with the child in tow. The Mission is a Triumph! Mission 2 : Thou Shalt Have a Fishie-Man. Albert, Alphonse and Carl head out once more to catch a fish-man, warned by previous encounters of what to expect. The fight is hard, and a Fishman is taken, dead, but still available to be dissected and investigated. The Mission is a Triumph! Mission 3 : The Rise of the Necromancer Timothy, Cameron and Jason are sent to Clacton to try and discover the identity of the necromancer that is raising the dead there. They are almost TOO successful in this, as they manage to interrupt a ritual. Not prepared for such a sorcerous opponent in direct conflict, they are driven away, barely escaping with their lives. The Mission is a Failure. Mission 4: Making the World a Safer Place Charlie, Wilkes and Hamish are tasked with investigating anything that might prove to be of future interest to the Rippers. Spying a pattern in some livestock deaths, they opt for a physical investigation. What they discover is the Werewolf, Archie, who mysteriously allows them a chance to flee rather than die ... they do so, and the livestock deaths stop ... The Mission is a Triumph and a new Ripper is recruited. Final Cabal Threat: 1 March Mission 1: The Necromancer of Clacton Albert, Alphonse, Carl, Hobson and Riley return to Clacton, equipped with Silver Weapons, Cold Iron, Holy Water and Oil Bombs, as well as Riley's Powers in order to cleanse the place of the Necromancer's taint. They acquire the assistance of a known Grave Robber - one Joe Nicholson - to help them track down the dark sorceror. The battle against the undead goes well, thanks to the preperations that have been made, and the Necromance is finally felled by a blast from Hobson's Shotgun. Joe, having seen more than he perhaps wished to, is persuaded to join the cause. The Mission is a Triumph! Mission 2: The Sands of Saqqara Carstairs, Oakley and Jeffrey lead an expedition to the tomb of 'Sosra the Great', supposedly located in the Saqqara tomb complex. Much digging is required to uncover the tomb, and even when this is done, the troubles have only just begun. The tomb is guarded by undead minions, including powerful mummies, and the Royal Mummy, Sosra himself! Sosra is defeated, in spite of the control he appears to have over Carstairs, and the treasures of the tomb become available to the Lodge! Having plundered the library room in the tomb for information, and sending it, along with a mysterious onyx ring, back to the lodge in Southend, Carstairs begins to catalogue the treasures of the tomb for sale to support the lodge further. The Mission is a Triumph and the lodge gains a new Benefactor (profits from the sale of Egyptian Artefacts) Final Cabal Threat: 0 New Cabal Threat Level: 7=